Woman's dying words helps cops nab husband

Pregnant woman with 100% burns screamed to cops, telling them that her husband had set her on fire after a quarrel, and then breathed her last

Pregnant woman with 100% burns screamed to cops, telling them that her husband had set her on fire after a quarrel, and then breathed her last

A 25-year-old woman who was three-months pregnant was set ablaze by her suspicious husband last evening. However, minutes before the victim Divya breathed her last, she avenged herself by exposing her husband's culpability in her death, ensuring that he did not go unpunished.

Susupicious mind: Deepak Khedekar was distrusting by nature, and prevented Divya from speaking to other men. Representation pic

Her parting shot came as her husband, Deepak Khedekar (27), spoke to the police, allegedly falsifying the cause of the fire.

Divya was brought to VN Desai Hospital in Santa Cruz last evening, her body savaged by almost 100 per cent burn injuries. Also wheeled in was Khedekar, who had sustained 30 per cent burns.

As the cops reached the hospital to enquire about the incidents that caused the fire, they first spoke to Khedekar, as he was in a condition to give his statement.

"The couple had been put in adjacent beds. We began by recording the statements of the victims. At around 4.30 pm, as Khedekar was recounting that he and his wife had sustained injuries in a fire that broke out due to a short-circuit, Divya summoned up her last bit of strength and screamed at the top of her lungs, saying that it was her husband who had poured kerosene on her and set her ablaze," said Senior Police Inspector Rajendra Pardesi from Vakola police station said.

Just 10 minutes after making her statement, at 4.40 pm, Divya breathed her last, even as the hospital staff were making arrangements to shift her to Harkisandas Hospital.

The cops are treating Divya's statement as her dying declaration, and have booked Khedekar on charges of murder.

According to the police, Khedekar got married to Divya last April. Their marriage was arranged, and since then they had been staying at their Vakola residence. Khedekar, who is an electrician by profession, was suspicious by nature, and would prohibit his wife from speaking to other men in the neighbourhood. "Due to Khedekar's behaviour, the couple would frequently get embroiled in quarrels. Last evening, they fought again over the same issue. When Divya was taking a nap after the quarrel, the accused poured kerosene on her and set her on fire," the officer added.

Cops said that soon after the incident, Khedekar, who had also sustained 30 per cent burns himself, rushed out of his residence and began calling his neighbours for help.

He pretended that the fire had occurred due to a short-circuit in their apartment.